"What！I”vesleptforsolong？Nowthatyoumentionit，I’mstarved!”saidDimitriandheheardhisstomachgrowlinprotest．Mariannahandedhimacupofhotchocote．

        "Thereisfriedchiandhamsandwithebag．Heatitupa．Why’tyoustayawakeandfindsomeworktodoinsteadoflivinginyourdreams?"shescolded．"Whydon’tyoueandliveinmygarage?Youwon’tbeinanybody’swayandyou’llhaveadetroofoveryourhead.”

        "No，thankyou，ma’am．Thanksfortheoffer，butI’musedtoithere．Tomethemostimportantthingistokeepupmyvitality．Thankstoyou，Ihaveenoughfoodtosustainmyphysicalhealthandkeepupmybrainactivities．Therestissuperfluousandmeannothingtome．"

        "OK，"saidMariannaresignedly，"Youdon’thavetothankme．Youwashmydwearequits．Getupyourchiandsandwidgooutthereandgathermaterialforyourdreams．"

        Afterthesplendidbreakfast，heputonhisnewshirtandshoeswhichhehadretrievedfromthegarbagethedaybefore，ahatlifeingeneralwasfineindeed．Sopushinghiscartinfrontofhim，hewentoutintotheworld．"IwonderwhatI’llfindtodaytoweaveintomydreams”hethought．Everydaywasfreshaohim．Hehadafeelingofexpecy，likeachildgoingtoDisneyrolledaimlesslyaround，watgpassers-byhurryingtowardstheirdestinations．"Whyaretheyinsuchahurry?"hewondered．"Lifeshouldbepcid,tobeenjoyed，notsohurried...”Thedaypassedwithouthisseeinganythingoutoftheordinary．Dimitriwasdisappointed．"Uh-uh，nomaterialformydreamstonight．It’sgettingte．"Justthen，hesawanoldcouplewalkinghand-in-hand，takingtheireveningstroll.Theingtired.theysatontheparkbench．

        "Honey”saidtheoldmantohiswife，”Sonnyboywrotetousyesterday，askingustogototheirpceforChristmas．He’sagoodboy．"

        "Youknow，darling，"hiswifereplied，"notonlyourson，htertoo，hasinvitedusforChristmas．Theyarebothgoodchildren，butwhichpceshouldwegoto?”Simpleasthesewordswere，Dimitricouldseelove，happiranquillityandasenseofprideofhavingmadesomethingoutoftheirlives．Theirlife，theirlovewaslikeabarrelofwine，whichhavingbeenbrewedawholelifetime，wasnowperfedfittodrioodrockstill，deeplyimpressedbytheoldcouplebeforehim．

        “Therewassomethingworthwhileinthislifeafterall,”hethought．

        DimitriwasavagabondwithmorethaiwasteandtoofarawayfromMarianna’srestauranttogetsomethi，sohedecidedtofindoneofhisnumerousrestingpdturnin．Helookedaround．Thepcewouldbetheabandonedsewer，hedecided．Itwasthehuntinggroundofprostitutes，theirpimps，drugdealersandtheirers．ButthesewerenothingtoDimitri．Whenhecametothesewer，hegathereduphisstybelongingsfromthecartwhichheleftagainstthewall，thenpullingupthelidoftheman-hole，hesteppedgingerlydownthenarrowdder．Hehadn’tusedthispceforafewmonthsnowandwasn’tasfamiliarwithitasheusedtobe．Inthedark，hisfoottouchedsomethingsoftandwarm．Itwasamoaninghumanbody．

        Dimitrilithiskeroseoveandsawayounggirl，noolderthanfifteen，curledupinaheapontheground，withtearsandnasalmucusalloverherface．Shewasmoaningandshiveringuntrolbly．

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